Ray Abruzzese Explained

Position:Safety
Number:46, 25
Birth Date:27 October 1937
Birth Place:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death Place:Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Draftyear:1962
Draftround:16
Draftpick:219
Afldraftyear:1962
Afldraftround:23
Afldraftpick:180
College:Alabama
Pastteams:
Statlabel1:Games played
Statvalue1:61
Statlabel2:Games started
Statvalue2:2
Statlabel3:Interceptions
Statvalue3:9
Pfr:A/AbruRa20
Highlights:

Raymond Lewis Abruzzese Jr. (Pronounced: "AH-broot-sez") (October 27, 1937 – August 22, 2011) was an American college and professional football player.

Abruzzese was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He played football during his high school years, when he gained the nickname "The Hawk" from teammates due to his skill as a defensive back spotting and intercepting passes in flight.[1]

He played college football at the University of Alabama, and played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Buffalo Bills from 1962 through 1964, when the Bills won the AFL Championship game, 20–7, over the defending AFL champion San Diego Chargers.[2] He played for the AFL's New York Jets in 1965 and 1966.[3] [4]

Abruzzese died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aged 73.[5] He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), caused by repeated hits to the head.[6] [7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. John Duxbury and Larry Shainman (eds.), Football Register, 1968. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1968; p. 3.
  2. Web site: Championship - San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills - December 26th, 1964 . June 29, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  3. Web site: 1965 New York Jets Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees . June 29, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  4. Web site: 1966 New York Jets Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees . June 29, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  5. Web site: Ray Abruzzese Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College . June 29, 2023 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  6. News: The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) . Concussion Legacy Foundation . July 2, 2023 . July 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230702123543/https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts . dead .
  7. News: Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller . Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease. . . June 20, 2023 . July 2, 2023 .